Protecting My Nindo
by Tobias Atreus
Summary: With the truth of the Kyuubi a secret to all, how far could the Namikaze heir go with an old pervert for a god father and a farm boy for a teacher? Naruto forces his way to be a legend amongst legends. Rating M for language and descriptive gore.


Protecting My Nindo

By: Aldor

Inspired by Kishimoto Masashi

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The dull roar of explosions echoed in an otherwise unearthly quiet Konohagakure no Sato.

Doors were locked, civilians huddling with their families in fear of the monstrous killing intent that saturated the air with hate and rage. The pitch black of night was only interrupted periodically by a dazzling display of lights from the northeast. Once might be held in awe by the array if not for what it represented…

The Kyuubi no Kitsune's rampage.

With the exception of genin, the village was nearly emptied of it's active and reserve ninja roster. All had been assigned one of two priorities; stall the demonic fox, or eliminate enemy spies.

While the Kyuubi took the greatest percent of the shinobi of Konoha, many were also sent to protect the boarders from enemy villages. The Village Hidden within the Leaves had been on top for so long, it was only natural for the other villages to attempt to further insure that the village was razed to the ground.

-------

A blinding yellow beam shot through the village at speeds only light could hope to rival. It's pace made a bee-line strait for the Hokage tower, coming to a dead stop in his office, the office of the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha: Namikaze Minato.

The wild and untamed blond hair of the kage settled to a rest, along with the long white sleeveless haori, trimmed with red flames with the kanji for Yellow Flash embroidered on the back. His expression had lost the glee and kindness typically seen on the carefree kage, and instead displayed a visage of utter determination.

For a week strait he had been on the frontlines with his men, probing the fox with everything he had, trying almost desperately to find a weakness to exploit. In all, it only wasted more and more of his shinobis' lives.

In the end, he was left with one option. The sole option that would damn him to hell over and over again. He would use _that_ seal. The **Shiki Fuujin**.

In essence, he was summoning the Shinigami to tear out the soul of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

While summoning a god to the plane of the living was a damnable sentence in itself, he would be taking it a step further. He was going to then seal the demon into the naval of his newly born son, Namikaze Naruto.

The grief tore at him. He had been on the frontlines when a genin had come to him with the news of the birth of his son. For an instant, hope had come back to him, only to be dashed away at the news that his wife Uzumaki Kushina had died in labor.

Worst of all, was that he wouldn't even be alive to see his child's first laugh… his first step… to teach him his pride and joy, sealing. Instead, he would die. A sacrifice to the God of Death to seal the bastard of a fox demon. It almost made him weap, knowing what the village would do to his heir. Fear and grief can drive what were once perfectly good human beings into beasts of bloodlust, and he was damning his son to the hate of the village.

'_No, I'll not let mine or his sacrifice be in vain… Jiraiya you old geezer, I'm sorry, but you'll have to fill your roll as godfather much sooner then expected.'_

Hastily he took out an envelope, and with desperate strokes, wrote a letter to his sensei and father figure. Once finished, he rolled it up and added a locking seal made specifically for the Gama Sannin.

For the first time in a week, he smiled. He knew the pervert would take good care of the kid. Hell, he'd probably become kage material by the time he was 15.

With a few quick had seals, an orange toad appeared in a puff of smoke. Blue outlines covered its body, and it was oddly clothed in a blue gi.

"Yo." was the toads greeting with a small wave of his webbed hand.

"Gamakichi, I've got a message I need you to deliver to Jiraiya-sensei. Take this to him and tell him to come to Konoha as fast as possible. Good bye friend."

Before the small toad could say anything on his behalf, he was unsummoned by the Yondaime Hokage in yet another puff of smoke.

'_Jiraiya, please make it here in time.'_

Immediately after, he began creating intricate seals almost as if he was possessed. Time seemed to blur for him as he came closer and closer to his goal.

A day passed by with only what seemed to be ten minutes for the village leader. Empty ramen containers littered the floor, with the man huddling over his desk doing a last inspection of what would be the crowning achievement in his career, and darkest moment of his life.

With a minor correction in the upper left quadrant of the seal, he nodded to himself and after gathering the scrolls up, he vanished in a blinding flash of yellow.

------

Hatake Kakashi was beat. With the Yondaime's departure from the frontlines to work on a new battle plan, it was up to him and Hyuuga Hiashi to keep the forces of Konoha together and lead them in an almost perilous fight.

He had lost so many people in the battle, one name sticking out above all others… Rin. His beloved had fallen protecting a group of genin who had gallantly, disobediently, and foolishly left their posts to aid in defeating what the ninjas were now calling a natural disaster. While they managed to get away, she wasn't so lucky.

It was just one thing after the other. Morale had been shot after Minato-sensei had left, and their forces were depleting quickly. The number of deaths had already passed forty percent.

A flash of yellow light caused the young jounin to release a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Minato-sensei was back, and knowing him, he would have a way to win, and finally end this hell they had been living.

Hope began to creep its way back into his heart as his teacher and leader strode towards where he and Hiashi had set up the command post. It was immediately erased however when he saw the grim look in the blond man's eyes, along with the wrapped bundle in his arms.

"Sensei…"

The Yondaime Hokage looked down at his son as a single tear shed from his eye. "Kakashi-kun, this is my son, Namikaze Naruto. If everything goes as planned, then he will be the jailor of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He is my legacy, and my heir. I ask but one last thing of you Kakashi, once the sealing is complete, keep him safe until Jiraiya arrives."

"But Sensei we can-"

"No, we've tried everything, cast every jutsu. Nothing does any good. This is our last chance. I'm not going to waist the lives of any more of my men in some foolish strike. It ends here. Take the boy from the village, meet Jiraiya at Tanzuka Gai. My old sensei will take care of him. If anyone asks, the Kyuubi was destroyed, and my son sent away to prevent assassinations. Timing is impeccable. Did you catch everything?"

"Uhh… yes sensei, but what about y-oh. Hell no. No way. You are not going to pull the Hokage card and sacrifice your self for your village." Kakashi's words were almost desperate. _Obito and Rin… I can't lose you too Sensei._

Yondaime's reaction was not what he was expecting from the normally jovial leader. With a quick grasp and a lightning fast yank, he grasped onto Kakashi's vest and pulled him until the two were eye to eye. "Kakashi, I know what happened to Rin. You're a ninja, act like one. Death is only another part of a shinobi's life. Its either I do this now, or the entire village goes. You're like a son to me Kakashi, and I know this is a shitty thing to happen, but it's the only way."

Kakashi looked down as a sense of shame fluttered over him. "I know sensei, I was being selfish. Don't worry about Naru-kun, I'll make sure Jiraiya gets him. Good luck sensei, its been an honor serving you."

Minato ruffled his hair much like he had done when Kakashi was younger. "It was my pleasure teaching you. Make sure Konoha flourishes. Good bye." With that, the man was gone with a flash. Seconds later, the familiar form of Gamabunta, the toad summon was called with a large puff of smoke.

------

The Yondaime fought to keep his composure. It wasn't fear of death, but worry for his son, and grief for his recently departed wife. He began a series of one handed seals after swiping the tip of his thumb on a kunai, and a large puff of smoke answered his call, sky rocketing him up into the air atop the head of Gamabunta, his long time ally and friend.

The toad was roughly ten stories tall with a wakizashi strapped to his side, proportionate to his gargantuan size. He was clothed in an open blue and white gi, with a rather large pipe resting between his maw.

"**Minato, another battle with the Kyuubi?"**

"Yes Bunta, and the last one. I have devised a seal that will bind the fox demon to my son, effectively ending his rampage."

"…**But?"**

"But I will be giving up my life in the process. I will be calling on the Shinigami to remove the soul of the demon, I need your help to hold him while I do this."

"**You can count on me friend, I suppose the kid will need looking after."**

"Yes, I'll be sending him to Jiraiya to train and raise. He should be able to protect Naruto from assassins. I believe the old perv will probably have him sign the contract as soon as the boy can channel chakra."

"**Good, I'll be sure my clan knows. Now lets go fox hunting."**

---

Fox hunting turned out to be more of following the sounds of explosions and bright lights. When they came upon the battle field, bodies of the wounded and dead littered the ground while the remaining shinobi fought the demon with tooth and nail.

As the giant toad and blond haired man came into the battle, a loud battle cry managed to carry itself over the rest of the chaos, "YOSH! YONDAIME-SAMA'S FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY IN THIS DARK HOUR. FIGHT SHINOBI OF KONOHA, SHOW THIS WORLD WHY OUR YOUTHFUL FLAMES EXTINGUISH ALL OTHERS!! FIFTH GATE, KAI!

In a dazzling display of speed and strength, the young shinobi had distracted the Kyuubi's attention long enough for the Yondaime and Gamabunta to get in close enough. The shinobi however was swept away by one of the nine glowing tails of the Kyuubi.

To be this close to the great demon, one could not help but take its features in awe. Its ferocious teeth, long and sharp enough to end the lives of anything they met. Its eyes filled with an almost raw amount of chaotic glee. It's body seemed to be made of solidified red chakra, with wisps giving off the image of scarlet fur. Nine glorious tails swept behind it almost playfully as the beast reaped havoc, a glutton for the terror that it's ridiculous killer intent caused.

Naruto was silent, with his eyes open and seemingly glaring at the gigantic fox. It would have been comical had the situation been any less dire.

Namikaze Minato's face became that which many of the Iwagakure shinobi still had nightmares about it. "NOW BUNTA!"

The toad lunged, springing off its powerful legs and grappling the fox demon. A tail came up to pierce him, but with a swift adjustment, it only left a large wound on the toad's eye.

"You alright Bunta?"

"**JUST FUCKING PEACHY. END THIS TEME'S LIFE ALREADY."**

"You got it!" With a flourish, the Yondaime whipped a long scroll from inside of his haori and lept upon the Kyuubi's head. The chaotic energy burned his feet, but it did not deter him.

"**HAHA! FOOLISH MORTAL. NOTHING YOU DO CAN STOP MY MIGHT!" **The Kyuubi roared, posing the nine tails in the air in preparation to stab the toad boss.

'_Good luck Naru-kun. Carry on my legacy and wear the Namikaze name with pride.' _Gathering all of the chakra the Yondaime held within his vast stores, he forced it all into the scroll, slamming it down on the beast's "fur" and yelling the words that would echo within the demon's mind for the rest of it's days, "**SHIKI FUUJIN!"**

**The dark figure of the Shinigami came within view to the Kyuubi, and for the first time in its existence, it felt fear. The legendary soul cutter of the God of Death poised in it's hand, ready to end the Kyuubi's life. With a swift slice, the blade passed through the neck of the giant fox, and the energy began to fly swiftly from its body and into the jaws of the diety.**

**With his last breath, Minato activated the seals he had placed on his son and watched in an almost horrid fascination as the demonic chakra immediately changed paths and entered into the large seal on the baby's naval.**

"**Become a good man, Naru-kun, and a good ninja." With those last words, the Yondaime's soul was torn from his body by the Shinigami, and his body, along with Naruto plummeted to the earth.**

**-----**

**Kakashi watched the demon vanish, and although all around him were shouting in joy, he felt ready to weep. He could see the struggling effort of his sensei to complete the sealing, and leapt towards him and his son. By the time the toad had disappeared and Minato started to freefall, Kakashi had grabbed the pair, quickly hiding Naruto under a genjutsu. **

**As they touched the ground, he gently laid the still man on the ground and closed his eyes, forcing the tears that he knew would come eventually back.**

**Sarutobi Sasuke, the retired Sandaime Hokage was the first to come to where Kakashi and the corpse of the Yondaime were. Although he said nothing, his eyes rested where the genjutsu that covered Naruto was. **

**Kakashi raised his head and mournfully looked towards the elder shinobi, "Sandaime-sama, I have one last mission to complete for Yondaime-sama."**

"**Yes, I suppose you do," the Sandaime mused sagely, stroking his beard, "what of Kushina and his son?"**

"**Kushina did not make it through labor." Kakashi choked out.**

"**I see. A grave day indeed. Go Kakashi, complete your mission."**

"**Hai Sandaime-sama." Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, the direction of which nobody in the Village Hidden Beneath the Tree Leaves knew.**

**End.**

**Author's Notes - Welcome to the new Naruto fanfic Protecting My Nindo. Pairings will be a surprise.**


End file.
